OS News has published a detailed, technical review of a $200 Linux-based PMP (portable media player) with a 3.5-inch TFT display and a 20GB hard drive. The Pontis MX2020 is “the most affordable hard-disk based big-screen PMP on the market today,” according to reviewer Eugenia Loli-Queru.

(Click for larger view of MX2020)

Loli-Queru notes that at $200, the Pontis MX2020 costs less than other hard-drive-equipped PMPs, including the $600 Archos PMA400 — which runs Qtopia — and the $400 Neuros 440, which is soon to be based on Linux. It also costs less than the PalmOS-powered LifeDrive, and is priced about the same as the $200 Gamepark Holdings GP2X-F100, which lacks a harddrive but boasts dual ARM9 processors.

According to Loli-Queru, the MX2020 was designed and manufactured for German CE (consumer electronics) vendor Pontis by iUbi, a Korean OEM (original equipment manufacturer). iUbi calls its design the PMP2020, and also makes the device for Chinese CE vendor KISS, which sells it as the PMP2020.

The MX2020 is based on a Linux 2.4.19 kernel and uCLinux C libraries. Unlike the iUbi PMP2020 design, it does not support CFIO WiFi cards, instead connecting to PCs via USB 2.0. It has rechargable batteries, and can recharge via USB or an AC cradle/charger, Loli-Queru says.

According to Loli-Queru's review, the MX2020 has a slow, quirky interface that nevertheless is pretty easy to learn and use. The device has trouble playing back Xvid/Mp4 files and DivX files with B frames, but otherwise supports a wide variety of video encoding formats. The audio player supports WMA, OGG, AAC-LC, and MP3, she says.

Battery life is sufficient to watch a 2-hour movie with a medium LCD brightness setting, she reports.

The full review can be found here.

For further information about the MX2020, visit Pontis's website.

 
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